Obliviated
by completehorcrux
Summary: What happens when Draco Malfoy gets Obliviated and tortured by his own father? What happens when Hermione Granger is suddenly back in his life, helping him rebuild his past? Will he be able to put up with the "Mudblood", and will she end up hexing the "ferret"?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello! This is my first fanfiction so please cut me some slack :P I really love Dramione and this idea just popped into my head. I honestly don't know where the story is heading to, though. Please help me along the way and I am currently looking for a beta so if any of you readers are interested in helping, please PM me :) Review, and I'll upload another chapter when I'm done with it! Thanks~ And here goes. I present to you, the first chapter of Obliviated.**

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"No! No... Don't do this to me!" "Crucio! Obliviate!" Narcissa Malfoy entered the room at that moment, and watched, frozen in her place, as her son writhed in pain on the floor before her, screaming out one more time, before finally blacking out. The room was dimly lighted, only illuminated by the jets of light that shot out of the wand that was currently pointed at the nineteen year old on the floor, blood and dirt caking his face. Her husband stood above him, his face a picture of pure fury. His lip curled to form the trademark Malfoy sneer and he was trembling slightly with anger. His wand twitched in his hand and he spun around, striding past her and out of the room, his robes billowing behind him. Only when he was out of the room did she rush up to the unconscious Draco, tears streaming down her face. She was shaking with fear and biting her lip as she looked over her son's bruised form. "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have let this happen to you..." She grasped his hand. It was cold as ice. His shirt was torn and tattered in many areas, and there were gashes all over his body where Sectumsempra was used on him. His body twitched from the after effects of the Cruciatus curse. Narcissa hung her head low as her tears dripped onto his lifeless and bloody palm. "I'm so sorry..."

(14th June 2000)

"Hermione! Get over here, there seems to be a cure for the Crucio victims, we've just tested them out on some of the patients and there seems to be results!" The floo call came and Hermione immediately jumped up and stepped into the fireplace with a handful of floo powder, calling out "St. Mungo's!" before she disappeared. "You're here! Come on, the Longbottoms and the others are beginning to show some symptoms of recovery," Harry rambled, grabbing her arm and pulling her along to the wards where the patients lay. He was right. As she looked into the different wards, she could see patients slowly, but surely, sitting up. There were not many, but still enough to fill about six wards. Every one of them, just like the Longbottoms, were heartlessly tortured by the Cruciatus curse, until they were driven to the brinks of their sanity. Until that point, many of them were left unconscious. For many months, the Healers had been trying to find a cure that would bring the patients back to their original states of mind. They had spent many long and sleepless nights researching and experimenting, without any results. However, recently there seemed to be a breakthrough and many, inspired by this, worked even harder to turn that hope into reality. Finally, that moment had come.

They approached the Longbottoms' beds and saw that they were already awake. They slowly looked up at the two adults. Both Hermione and Harry held their breaths, anticipating any form of movement or speech, but they merely blinked. Hermione sighed and turned to Harry. "How long will it be until they regain their abilities to speak?" "I'm not sure. They were, after all, unconscious for many years. It would depend on the person too. Different people take different lengths of time to recover. However, for the weaker ones, if we talk to them, their brains are able to process it and they can respond by nodding or shaking their heads. That's all we've found out." Harry gave a sheepish smile. She nodded and from the corner of her eye, she saw slight movement. She gasped in shock when she saw who it was.

"Malfoy?" Upon hearing his name, he turned his head slightly so he was facing her. _Confusion_. She could see it in his eyes. Raising an eyebrow, she questioned, "Harry, why is the ferret here?" "Draco? You're finally awake!" A new voice was heard as two figures rushed into the room. Pansy Parkinson, followed closely by Blaise Zabini, appeared beside his bed and clutched his hand, sobbing as she checked him for any form of recognition of them. Hermione just raised her eyebrow again and Harry gestured to her to leave the ward. "So?" Hermione impatiently tapped her foot, her arms crossed against her chest. Harry gave her a look before opening his mouth. "Well... He was admitted into St. Mungo's some time ago while you went to fetch your parents back from Australia. Just before Lucius Malfoy was finally captured and sent to Azkaban. Apparently, he had tortured the ferret for quite a while for his failure of completing Voldemort's tasks. He sees it as avenging Voldemort's death. Blasted man, taking out his anger on his own son. That's seriously deranged."

Harry shook his head in disbelief, and continued, "He used the Cruciatus curse on him countless times and just as the ferret blacked out, Narcissa Malfoy found him and brought him over. Lucius, on the other hand, tried to flee but fortunately got caught by Ron and his team of Aurors. He was shocked, to say the least." Harry chuckled. Hermione took all of this information in, with a slight frown on her face. "So that's why I hadn't heard of him in so long. Not that I wanted to. But wow. Who knew? I can't believe I'm saying this but I do feel kind of sorry for Malfoy, despite what he did. I figured the incident in the Room of Requirement was bad enough a punishment for him." Before Harry could reply, Pansy and Blaise left the room, looking over at them with unreadable expressions, before looking back down as they hurried away.

Back in her apartment, all Hermione could think about was that look of confusion. _Had he not recognized us?_ She shook that possibility out of her mind. _He had personally made our lives hell for seven years, what made me think that he wouldn't recognize us? But... If he did recognize us, why did he look so confused?_ Hermione was left stuck at that thought. Throughout the rest of the day, the answer never came.

Unknown to Hermione, she was also on someone's mind back in St. Mungo's. _Who was that? Why was she studying me like... Like a piece of information? And who was that Scarhead_? Draco Malfoy frowned slightly. _They seemed kind of familiar though..._ Just then, he bolted upright in his bed, wincing slightly as some bones cracked from the lack of recent movement. He searched around for a calendar and saw the date. _14th June 2000._ He counted off the years in his mind. He had been asleep for 4 years?_ That was impossible._ All he remembered was... Being in Hogwarts. Fifth year. His dad being sent to Azkaban because of Potter. _Right! So the Scarhead earlier was Potter. And that must've been the Mudblood beside him. Always attached at the hip, they were._ Then he remembered receiving... Something. From... Someone. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn't remember what he received and who he received it from. Draco started freaking out. A Healer entered his room for his daily checkup and saw him fervently trying to move his stiff bones and muscles in an attempt to get out of his bed, and rushed over.

"Mr Malfoy! Mr Malfoy! What is it?" "I don't... I don't remember anything! I don't remember anything after my Fifth year! And... And I'm nineteen now! NINETEEN! What was going on the past four years? Is my father still in Azkaban? Where... Where is my mother? I demand to see my mother now!" Draco fumed at her, scowling as the Healer furrowed her eyebrows. "I will floo call your mom over this instant. Forgive me if I'm wrong, Mr Malfoy... But didn't you participate in the Second Wizarding War where He Who Must Not Be Named was defeated by The Chosen One, Harry Potter? And weren't you on the dark side?" At this, Draco wore a look of disbelief. Had this much happened in four years? Why couldn't he remember anything? There were just too many unanswered questions. "Just... Just get my mother here. Now." He barked, running a hand through his blonde hair in exasperation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Omg. Thanks so much! I watched as the number of reads increased while I was planning Chapter Two and I must say I'm surprised! 52 reads for Chapter One! It's definitely many more than I expected. I originally planned on uploading once a week but I finished Chapter Two early and I guess I should reward you guys with a new chapter for the number of reads :P Well. Do review! I'm hoping for about 2 reviews at least? And probably 100 reads before I post the next chapter. Please and thank you :)) Enjoy!**

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"Draco?" Draco looked up as Narcissa entered the room and sat on the side of his bed. "Mother! Why am I here? What's going on? Why can't I remember anything after my Fifth year? What happened to father? What happened to... Him?" A frantic look passed over his features, his silver orbs searching his mother's face as she looked down to her lap. Narcissa said nothing, but fiddled with his bed sheets. "Mother? Mother... What's wrong?" Narcissa tilted her head up to look at her son, her eyes filled with regret and pain. "Draco, you... You've been Obliviated. By your father."

"What?!" Three voices burst out at the same time. Both mother and son turned to the source of the two extra voices. Hermione and Harry stood at the door of the ward, their mouths open in shock. Draco glared at them from where he sat, and turned back to his mother. "What do you mean, Obliviated?" He asked slowly, his voice dangerously low. Narcissa hesitated for that one moment, and Draco burst out. "Mother! Explain this to me!" "Well... Lucius... He probably did this to punish you... He felt that you were not loyal. Not careful enough. You were so hesitant, Draco... The Dark Lord was unsure of where your loyalties lay. And when... When he died, your dad was blinded by rage. You were his first target. He felt that you were the reason for his defeat. He said that... That if you had properly taken care of the Elder Wand, Pot-Harry wouldn't have been able to gain ownership of it by disarming you. I... I don't know, Draco. He was just so furious. He wanted to avenge the Dark Lord so badly... Nothing I said could stop him... He Stupefied me, just so I wouldn't interrupt his punishing of you. I could hear your screams. I could feel your pain. Your agony. It was so... So heartbreaking... But I couldn't... I couldn't do anything, Draco. And I'm sorry... This shouldn't have happened... I shouldn't have let this happen to you... I'm a failure, Draco..." Narcissa was in tears by now. Her body was shaking violently as she sobbed, her head in her hands. "I should have stopped him... I should have stopped him..."

Hermione and Harry had left the room by then, but they had undoubtedly heard everything Narcissa had told Draco. "W... Wow," Harry took a huge breath and shuddered. He choked out slowly, "I don't... I don't know why we were never able to detect that when we were doing check ups on him..." He looked over at Hermione, who had that look of intense concentration. Her brows furrowed, lips pursed, arms crossed over her chest, her figure leaning against the white wall. She stayed that way for a while, not saying a word, but her mind in overdrive.

Several hours later, as Draco was lying in his bed waiting for sleep to consume him, he thought. He thought about his mother. About his father. About Hogwarts. About his lost memories. About Potter and the Mudblood. He groaned internally. He had been unconscious for who knows how long, and rid of two years of his memories. And then he suddenly wakes up and everything is dumped back onto him. This was all too much for him to handle in one day. Too much. Reality was indeed cruel. Well, at least life couldn't get any worse than that. And with that, Draco fell into a deep sleep.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IN CHARGE OF ME?!" Draco bellowed at the Healer. She grimaced. She knew that this would happen. "Mr Malfoy... I'm sure you understand that the only path that you can take now to regain your memories is to interact with somebody from your past, and have that person help you regain your memories. Right...? And seeing as Healer Granger is the only available person whom you have had a past with, she will be the one assisting you. I'm sorry, Mr Malfoy. But if you want to get your memories back, this is the only way to do it." She ended off with a tone of finality. This was it. There was no other way. Draco felt like pulling out all his hair and screaming. He refused to let the Mudblood help him. How dare they put him under the care of someone inferior to him?

He remembered. She was such a know-it-all. Hand raised up high during every lesson. She had the answer to every question. Never giving anyone else a chance. Always the teacher's pet. With that humongous mound of hair that could practically prevent people from looking beyond her. With that horrendous creature she called Crookshanks. Her punching him in Third year. How dare she? That filthy Mudblood dared lay a hand on him, a Pureblood? There were just too many events to remember. But the memories of her from Sixth year onwards, ceased to exist. What happened after, he couldn't remember. But all he knew was that he hated her to the core. Because of her blood status. Because of her intelligence. Everything about her, he hated. And now, she was back into his life? Just like that? What more, to help him get his memories back? He simply refused to believe that that was actually happening. He didn't want her to help him. He would rather die than have a Gryffindor help him. What more a Gryffindor Mudblood. He sighed. This was just ridiculous. Absurd. And he had had enough.

"Malfoy. I can't drop my duties just because _you_ refuse to let me help you! I have to do this, whether you like it or not." Hermione sighed. He just didn't get it. "Nobody has to know! You can just have a really long break, and I can do my own things and live happily without you interfering in my life!" Draco snapped at her. "I don't want you to help me. I don't _need_ you to help me. Do you, or do you not understand that?" He, too, was getting sick of repeating himself. While she didn't want to talk to him, much less go back into his life, she had a job to do. And she wasn't about to put her job aside just because of their mutual hate. As much as she hated him, she knew that he wanted to remember. He wanted his memories back again. She also wanted him to not look at her as though she were filth. She knew she definitely wasn't. She may not be Pureblooded but she was definitely smarter than most. _Like Crabbe and Goyle_, she thought, nearly snorting out loud. Moreover, there was no difference between the blood of Purebloods and Muggles. She knew it. During the war. Everyone's blood was the same. They were mixed up along with the bodies that were strewn all over the school. There was no difference at all. Why then, couldn't there be equality? Why couldn't Muggleborns have the respect they obviously deserved and craved? She was sick of this injustice.

On the other hand, he didn't care what happened, he just wanted her to leave him alone. He didn't want help from a Mudblood. Someone of a lower blood status than him. And he certainly didn't wish for Little Miss Know-It-All to remind him of his past. He was sure that she'd feed him with her opinions on how he was such a prick, and how he shouldn't be prejudiced against others whom he believed to be inferior to him. How he should treat everyone equally. But that wasn't the case. It would never be the case.

In society, the concept of equality never existed. People were meant to be classified by their wealth. Their blood status. Their popularity. To him, everyone was treated how they should be. Social levelling was inevitable. The richer, the Pureblooded, the more popular, would _always_ be on top. Priority would _always_ be given to them. They would _always_ get the best. People always wanted to satisfy those on the top of the social ladder. That would never change. It didn't _need_ to be changed. And she just couldn't understand. She couldn't understand that some people would always be better. More important. And he was ready to slam his head against the wall because she was too clouded by her stupid Gryffindor traits and judgement to see it.

"So what now?" Draco's train of thought was interrupted and he looked up to see Hermione's look of frustration mirroring back at him. She had her hands on her hips and looked eerily like Professor Mcgonagall at that moment. He nearly burst out laughing at the thought, but managed to refrain himself from doing so. He searched her face as though the answer was written on it. Hermione watched as his eyes roamed over her face, trying to think of a solution. She really couldn't understand him. How was it possible that someone could harbor so much hate towards another? Why couldn't he understand that all she wanted was peace? She, by no means, wanted them to become friends all of a sudden. But the war had taught her a lot. To see so many Muggles tortured and brutally murdered. She wanted them to be at least civil to each other. Why—

"Let's have an Unbreakable Vow to solve this, once and for all."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hello again readers! I have noticed that there are less and less read nowadays :( could you do me a favour and spread the word to other Dramione fans or anyone who is interested in reading fanfic? I know I said 100 reads but I didn't state which Chapter. Since Chapter 1 hit over 100 I'll just be nice and post :)) Also, do leave more reviews! I have questions to ask you readers. Firstly, do you find the story too narrative? My friend said it was! And I was wondering if all of you feel this way too and how I can improve! Secondly, I personally find it confusing for me to add the italics but that same friend couldn't tell which sentences were thoughts and which weren't. So I tried adding italics. But as I usually write thoughts in third person persona, it gets confusing for me as I don't know which thoughts to italic and which ones to just leave it :( do review in answer to my questions and I will try my best to make the story more interesting for you! :) **

**Thank you to PurpleOwl7 for the review! It was short and sweet and I was ecstatic to have received a review HAHAH. I realized that most of the time, some certain actions in the story are unexplained and I think this shows how I as a reader of Harry Potter interprets these actions. This Chapter is dedicated to you! :***

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"Ex... Excuse me?" Hermione's eyes widened at the voice that had suddenly cut through her thoughts. It couldn't be. She must have heard wrongly. There was no way— "An Unbreakable Vow, you Mud..." "Okay okay I get it! Don't need to start on the insults here, Malfoy," She scowled. Then it hit her. _An Unbreakable Vow. For real. Bu... But why?_ "On what conditions?" The question escaped her lips warily as she folded her arms across her chest, looking at him suspiciously. Draco carelessly shrugged. "I don't know... Yet." This caused Hermione to nearly scream in frustration. He wanted the Unbreakable Vow, but didn't have any conditions in mind? How much more idiotic could he get?! "You have got to be kidding me, Malfoy. First, you demand something totally ridiculous. An Unbreakable Vow, for Merlin's sake! An Unbreakable Vow isn't something to be taken lightly, you know. Are you not aware of the consequences that follow if one of us, probably you, breaks the Vow? The price to pay is death, Malfoy. Death. Think about it. And then, just when I decide to come to terms with your decision to have an Unbreakable Vow... You tell me you haven't thought of any condition yet? Are you trying to waste my time here? Because if you are, it's your own loss. You will not regain your memories by the end of your treatment, and it'll be entirely your fault! Not mine, not St. Mungo's! Yours!" She looked ready to bang her head against the wall.

"Okay, fine! So you say there's a specific duration that you'll be... Helping me?" Draco spoke the last two words with great distaste. Hermione sighed and nodded. "Well, then I don't want to have anything to do with you after everything ends. That's my condition." Hermione rolled her eyes. She thought about it carefully, before deciding on her condition. "You have to complete the treatment, without harming anybody, no matter how angry or frustrated you feel. And when I say anybody, I mean Healers, Harry, Ron, house elves, anybody. For this period of time I will be moving over to Malfoy Manor, seeing as I am your personal Healer in Charge. However the occasional Healer will turn up at the Manor for checkups. Your mother has kindly consented and I will be moving in today, together with you when you get discharged. However, we won't be spending every waking moment in the Manor. I will be bringing you back to Hogwarts, to Hogsmeade, anywhere that will help you regain your memories of your Sixth and Seventh years. Though I expect that the only places you ever visited during those two years were in fact Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Maybe Dia— I'm sorry, Knockturn Alley? For, you know... The Vanishing Cabinet? Wait. I'm sorry. You don't know about that. Anyway, that's my condition. And the outline of your treatment. Any questions?" She ended her rambling, at the same time stopping her pacing across the room as she was speaking.

Draco took in these information with a frown on his face. The Healers, he could tolerate. After all he wouldn't be seeing them often. _And some of them were quite pretty_, he smirked to himself. It would be hard to control himself from beating the living daylights out of Scarhead and the Weasley, though. House elves? He nearly snorted. He may have a personal house elf, but he didn't abuse her. Instead of rags, all Malfoy house elves wore proper uniforms. After Dobby left, his father decided to make sure the house elves were properly treated so none of them would run off badmouthing them or tipping off a certain Boy Who Lived about the Death Eater meetings in their Manor. Then... What? The Mudblood was moving in with him? And his mother consented it? This time, Draco really did groan. How could she? He decided that he was going to have a word with his mother when they got back. Well... At least they would be visiting Hogsmeade, he mused. Believe it or not, he really liked Honeydukes. Though he wasn't very pleased at the prospect of going back to Hogwarts and Knockturn Alley. What would people think of him? Being in St. Mungo's for over a year after the Second Wizarding War, suffering from the Cruciatus Curse, just like the Longbottoms! Being in the same plight as the Longbottoms was definitely something Draco wasn't proud of. And anyway, what Vanishing Cabinet? Well, based on what the Mudblood had said, he had used it during the Sixth and Seventh years. _To do what, exactly?_ He wondered.

"I guess I could put up with that... We'll get my mother to help us perform the Vow later then," Draco finally answered after considering once more the condition given to him. Throughout his thought process, Hermione had been watching him with one eyebrow raised. She watched as the mask he had always plastered on his face disappear, and every once in a while his emotion would change. From contemplation, to amusement, to slight exasperation, and so on. It went on for a minute or two, and when he opened his mouth he looked slightly unsure. "Scared, Malfoy?" Hermione openly smirked, her eyes twinkling. She liked it now that he was open with his emotions. It would be easy to read him and she could use it to her advantage. Someday. Draco nearly fainted from shock. Hermione Granger, smirking? He never thought the day would come. However, he thought, it did make her look a tad more Slytherin. Not that he'd ever want her to be in Slytherin anyway. Mudbloods didn't deserve to be in Slytherin. At this, he sneered. "Never." The only response Hermione gave was a look of satisfaction.

An hour later, after Draco's final check up, he packed up his stuff whilst Hermione went back to her apartment in Muggle London to do her own packing. She met him back at St. Mungo's soon after. They linked arms, albeit quite awkwardly, and apparated to Malfoy Manor. "Mother! I'm home!" Draco's voice rang out across the huge but scarily dark hallway. It seemed never ending, stretching on forever. It was wide and spacious, with countless portraits of the deceased Malfoy family members hung on the walls. As they trudged on, the portraits all held the Malfoy sneer on their faces, some even starting to scream out in rage at the prospect of having a Mudblood step foot into such a prestigious household. "Hush! I am the only one here who is allowed to insult her. Understand? I will not hear a single word of complaint while she is staying here. She may be beneath us," Hermione nearly flared up at this but remembered she was a guest, "but she is a guest and my mother has consented to this. Insult her and you are insulting my mother. Your own family. Also, you wouldn't want to hear one of her witty comebacks. Should she be rude in this household, I would have to chase her out. And we wouldn't want that now, would we? I have to undergo treatment and I actually do wish to get well. Hear me?" Draco addressed the portraits as they scowled, some even flashing him a certain finger in response. Hermione, on the other hand, was so shocked her eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets. Did he just... Compliment her? Sure, he was threatening to chase her out. However he did imply her comebacks were intelligent. _This will be interesting_, Hermione mused as she followed Malfoy down the long halls, through the twists and turns at the corners.

Malfoy Manor truly was spectacular. Despite her... Past history in it, she couldn't help but marvel at everything now that she was in her right state of mind. As they walked past yet another hallway, she noticed the grand chandeliers that hung on the ceiling. The polished wood on the floor was smooth and shiny, and she was afraid of dirtying the floor. Ignoring the portraits, the wall had an intricate design on it that made Hermione gasp in wonder. Finally, they traipsed into the huge dining room. As in the hallways, the dining room ceiling revealed a huge chandelier that glimmered as rays of sunlight was filtered into the room. In the middle of the room, stood a dining table that could seat about thirty. Candles were placed on the table at every third seat. The chairs were throne-like and the seats were soft and cushioned, with velvet casings. _No wonder the Malfoys were so popular in the Wizarding World. Wealth was something they definitely weren't short of_, Hermione thought bitterly.

At that moment, Narcissa Malfoy entered the room behind them. "There you are, son, Hermione," she nodded at Hermione and grasped her hand, "Thank you so much for doing this. If he regains his memories I will be eternally grateful to you." Hermione bowed slightly and answered, "Yes, of course Mrs Malfoy, I will try my best to help him. Don't worry." Narcissa then smiled slightly and moved on to stand in front of her son, but not before adding, "You can call me Narcissa, dear." With that, she turned to her son and hugged him tightly. Draco visibly relaxed and returned the hug. As Hermione stood at the side, her heart warmed at the sight of mother and son. As they spoke quietly, a house elf appeared in front of her and offered to help move her stuff to the room she'd be staying in. Looking back at the two Malfoys, she nodded and silently left the room after the house elf.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Hello again readers! I'm so sorry I took so long to post! I didn't plan beforehand and I got stuck at the plot :/ My bad. Well, here's Chapter Four! But first, some issues to address.**

**Reviews: Two reviews this time? Hehe. Thanks two PurpleOwl7 and behindthatcover! In response to PurpleOwl7, well this time I tried going slightly into more detail! But to be honest I suck at description ahaha I'm sorry! I tried my best though :P and well, Hermione smirking ****_is_**** kind of out of character but well, I ****_can_**** imagine********her smirking in my mind and my, she looks hot :P just bringing out the Slytherin in her yeah? ;)**

**Now, I'm sorry the description of the Manor isn't exactly the same as in the books and movies but this is how I imagine it to be. I'm usually against the idea of changing anything that Rowling wrote but I really... I don't know. I just don't want to copy her idea of what the Manor looks like. This is my story and this is how I picture it to be. But still, enjoy :)) do review and maybe PM me on what you'd like to see happen in the next chapter? I need inspiration :P I'm sorry I'm not an organized writer :X love you guys! Please tell your friends to read okay :))**

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Draco woke up to the sound of his door creaking open. There came a soft curse muttered, and the sound of water sloshing around in what seemed like a bucket. He heard the bucket being put down on the floor and the door closing again softly with a click. Footsteps came nearer and nearer, the apparently heavy bucket causing the intruder to pant slightly, and then— "Good morning, Granger! What can I do for you?" The moment he shot up in bed, Hermione screamed and fell backwards onto the floor, the water splashing all over herself. Draco let out a full, hearty laugh, even clutching his sides at one point when they started hurting. Whereas Hermione, who was still on the floor, glared at the laughing teenager. "When did you wake up?" She scowled, bitter that her surprise wake up plan had backfired. "Hm, lets see, when the door opened?" The words managed to get out before he burst into laughter again. "Well, thank you Granger, for that... Wonderful wake up call. Best I've ever had in a while, if you know what I mean." Her scowl deepened as she caught onto his words. "If you would excuse me, I would like to take a shower." He got out of bed, shirtless, and stretched, his muscles flexing beneath his pale skin. Hermione found herself looking away with her face red. "And, before I forget, nice pajamas. White looks good on you," Draco tried but failed to hide the smirk that was tugging at his lips. He promptly sauntered out of the room, grabbing some clothes from his wardrobe as he went. Hermione was confused for a second and looked down. She gasped and used her arms to cover her front, turning even redder than she thought was humanely possible. _Damn you, Malfoy. Damn you._

That had not been a good morning for Hermione, especially after that embarrassing scene in Draco's bedroom. Firstly, her shower water had been cold as the heater somehow "spoiled", and when she walked out of the shower, shivering, she saw the note stuck on the door. It had said "This is what a real prank should be like. Hope you catch a cold." She ended up tearing the note and setting it to fire. Then when she went down for breakfast, there was no food left. Draco was just leaving the room and all he said was, "You should've come down earlier. Malfoys have breakfast early and we finish eating quickly." before he left the room. Of course, Narcissa strode into the dining room immediately after, apologizing for her son's behavior and getting the house elves to prepare more breakfast for Hermione. Finally, when she was ready to start training with Draco, she found him on a broom, flying outside the Manor. She couldn't get him to come down so she had to resort to getting on a broom herself and chasing after him. However, she found herself getting queasy, and nearly passed out due to her fear of flying. However, at that exact moment Draco had decided to give up, claiming that he wouldn't want to end up having to heal his personal Healer. He then tutted at her and, fixing his hair, he returned to the Manor. Hermione was about to go insane. And treatment hadn't even started, she thought, wincing.

"I've been waiting for you, Mudblood." Came the voice from one side of the room as the door clicked open. "Now, Malfoy, that's quite enough. Have you not grown up since Hogwarts? Your actions are getting more and more childish, and I will not tolerate this any further. You are nineteen, not five!" Hermione's shrill voice responded immediately. Draco looked up, surprise briefly crossing his face, before he raised an eyebrow, his expression challenging. "Yeah? If I remember correctly you were the one who decided to enter my room at seven in the morning in the attempt to pour water over me, am I wrong, Granger?" He leaned forward so that his elbows were on the desk in front of him. They had agreed to meet in the study room, and it was almost as big as the dining room. The furniture was vintage but durable, with the usual velvet covers on the couch and chair seats. Several shelves lined two of the walls, with countless books stacked on them. In the middle of the room, just in front of the couch, stood a small coffee table, its top made of glass and the rest of it out of wood. The floor beneath the coffee table was carpeted and it felt soft under Hermione's feet as she walked around the room in awe. The last side of the room was made of glass that overlooked the Malfoy garden. It was a beautiful sight. It was homely, if she did say so herself. The floor length curtains were a deep and rich purple, and it made the whole room look royal. The magnificence of the Malfoy study room temporarily rendered Hermione speechless and she forgot about Malfoy's retort at her.

"Well... Well... That was... I thought you wouldn't be able to wake up! Ronald and Harry are always like this. I always have to... You know... Pour water over their heads. And I thought it'd be the same for you..." Hermione trailed off and Draco smirked in triumph. He had beat her at her own game. "Well then, Healer Granger, what will we be doing today?" "Well, Malfoy, I assume you know Occlumency?" Hermione looked up from where she was standing, to see his brief nod from his position at the desk. "Well, then I will dive into your mind and see what exactly you remember. Don't resist, because I will not harm you in any way. Okay?" She continued, moving closer to the desk. "Resist...?" Draco smiled smugly. Hermione rolled her eyes and lifted her wand. He closed his eyes and suddenly he could feel a presence in his mind. he saw flashbacks of his childhood, then moving on to his time in Hogwarts, inviting the Scarhead to be his friend, laughing when Weasley started choking up slugs, getting punched by the Mudblood, being turned into a ferret by Mad-Eye Moody, and getting hit by the Weaslette's Bat Bogey Hex. That was all he saw before everything became black for a second and when he opened his eyes, Granger was looking at him with a frown on her face. "Let's... Let's revisit your childhood today. We'll start right from the beginning. With help from Narcissa, since I don't exactly know what happened before your Hogwarts years. She knows what to do, I've talked to her about it before." With that, she left the room, still deep in thought.

Draco found Granger and his mom waiting for him in the hallway. Narcissa beckoned him over, then spoke. "What do you remember of your father when you were younger, Draco?" The trio started a slow walk around the house, whilst questions and answers echoed around. They covered the first floor of the Manor by the time they were done. Some questions had Draco answering immediately, some took longer for him to answer as he recalled the memories of his childhood. It took them about an hour and Narcissa then spoke to Hermione in private for a few minutes, and then left them alone. "Would you like to see Blaise and Pansy?" Hermione asked hesitantly as she stepped up behind him. He thought about it for a moment, then turned around and nodded, in slight appreciation. He was sick of being cooped up. He wanted to go out into the sun. "Let's go to Hogsmeade. The Three Broomsticks." Hermione was shocked at his sudden decision to go somewhere so public, especially with his bad reputation, but agreed. "I'll go floo call them then." He said, and stalked off.

Fifteen minutes later had the four teenagers sitting at a table in the Three Broomsticks. Pansy and Blaise were looking from Draco, to Hermione, and back again to Draco. "Hey, Hermione... How is he?" Pansy asked worriedly. Blaise chipped in, "Yeah, is he remembering anything? Or is he—" "_He_," Draco gestured at himself, "is right here! I'm fine, you didn't need to ask the Mudblood." He folded his arms against his chest and scowled at the Healer sitting beside him, then at his two best friends across the table. Hermione just rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. Blaise noticed this and whispered in Pansy's ear before standing up, tapping Draco as he walked past his seat. "Out, now. I need a word with you." Draco was about to protest but with the look on Pansy's face he sighed in defeat and trudged out of the pub.

"What, Blaise? Going to defend the Mudblood now?" Draco leaned against the wall outside the Three Broomsticks and gave Blaise a questioning eyebrow. "Since when did _you_ care?" "Since she's the one saving your life, _again_! She, Harry and Ron were the ones who saved you from the fiendfyre in the Room of Requirement back during the War! You may not remember it now, but it's true. Draco, you were _begging_ them to save you. Begging them not to leave you there to die. And now by agreeing to help you regain your memories, she's saving your life again, whether you believe it or not. You're just too blinded to see it. I'm disappointed in you, Draco. You're not being fair to her. You're not giving her a chance." Blaise shook his head, the words tumbling out of his mouth in his thick Italian accent. Draco thought about it for a while. Had they really saved him? But they hated him. But... They were Gryffindors after all. Fine, he would give them that. He tried thinking of something that could prevent him from feeling guilty, but he found nothing. It was truth that he was being unfair to the Golden Trio. Especially Granger. "Fine. I guess I _could_ tolerate her. But if she gives me any crap, I will not hesitate to retaliate."

Meanwhile, back in the Three Broomsticks, Pansy and Hermione were having an awkward conversation, seeing as the two wizards were occupied. "So," Pansy began, "Why are you doing this for Draco? He doesn't deserve it. Don't get me wrong, I do want my friend to get better, but he's done so many horrible things to you over the years. Merlin, _we_ have done so many horrible things to you. So why are you doing this?" Hermione thought about it for a moment, and then looked into Pansy's eyes and said, "He doesn't deserve my help, but he doesn't deserve to be treated like this by Lucius either. Memories are what make us, us. It is a terrible ordeal to go through, being rid of your memories. I don't know how it feels but I heard from a fellow Healer about Malfoy's... Near breakdown that day in St. Mungo's. I have always known him to be the calm one. And for him to be so worried, it definitely means something to him. Though he, well, all of you treated us badly, it is better to forgive. Maybe not forget, but forgive. It does us no good to be enemies, since we're technically on the same side now, by helping Malfoy regain his memories." Pansy, for the first time in a long time, was left speechless. She did not utter a word, even as her two best friends re-entered the pub.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hello readers! So sorry again it took me over a week sighs. I had to research so much for this chapter, you guys have no idea. I reread two whole chapters of Order Of The Phoenix just to make sure I got my facts right! Anyways. Uh. This is the longest chapter I've written so far! So yay? More reviews and reads I hope. Draco is feeling really terrible in this chapter and so do I. It was a really bad day for me. Not as bad as Draco's but well. I don't even know why I'm saying this hehe. But oh well. Sometimes telling strangers things are better because they won't spread it. Anddddd I have a beta! He's one of my friends who moved to US but he's back in Singapore for a while and he has agreed to help me! Despite him being a Harmony shipper. Hehe. And yes guys I live in Singapore! I'm rambling aren't I? Oh well. Uhh. I don't think I have anything to address in this chapter so. Enjoy!**

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"Morning Narcissa," Hermione greeted as she entered the dining room the next morning. She had taken note to go down earlier for breakfast, so she wouldn't have to trouble the house elves to make extra food for her after everyone else had eaten. She yawned and sat down at the table, opposite where Draco sat. "Morning, Malfoy." As much as she hated to even talk to him, it was his home. She was a guest, and she had to prove that she had manners. Draco, however, clearly didn't expect it. He looked up, and she saw surprise in his silver orbs. "Morning... Granger." She just smiled in response and dug into her breakfast. _Well, looks like someone's happy_, he thought sourly. He hated what he was going through. He hated that he lost his memories. That his father was rotting in Azkaban. That Granger had to be the one to help him. He could see it in their eyes. His mother. Blaise. Pansy. Even Hermione. Pity. He didn't want to be pitied on. He wasn't used to it, and he felt so pathetic. So helpless. He didn't like feeling helpless. He wanted to be the one in charge of things. He wanted to be in control. But ever since the bastard he called his father tortured and obliviated him, his world was ruined. Ripped into pieces. He wanted his memories back. The whole memory-regaining process was taking a toll on him, though it was only his second day. What was affecting him so much was the mere thought of how much longer he had to go through the treatment. In all honesty, he was scared. He didn't want to think of what would happen after he got his memories back. He didn't want to know what he lost. The past few days, a thought that constantly bugged him was, did he really want to know what he had done the past few years? What did the Vanishing Cabinet do? How had he contributed in the rising of the Dark Lord? How many people did he kill in the War? Did he kill anybody in the War? What had happened in the Room of Requirement that had him begging the Golden Trio for help? Who set the fiendfyre? He was quite afraid to know the answer, but he wouldn't admit it. "So today... We're going to Borgin and Burkes. That's where I remember first seeing you after Fifth Year ended. How's that sound?" Hermione started rambling as soon as she finished eating. She looked towards Narcissa and Draco for approval. Narcissa nodded and Draco plainly said, quite softly, "I'm fine with anything." She frowned slightly at his lack of enthusiasm. "Okay then... Come on! Let's go!" She was actually in a pretty good mood, as compared to yesterday, and she could and _would_ tolerate Malfoy's nonsense, should he give her any. She was in that good a mood. She practically dragged him out of his chair, said goodbye to Narcissa and apparated to Knockturn Alley once they were outside the Manor. Narcissa watched on as her son was dragged out by his once enemy, and a small smirk appeared on her face. Balancing herself, Hermione looked around warily. She shuddered. Knockturn Alley was a terrible place to be in. It had been repaired thoroughly after the War, but everything still looked the same as it had been before. All around she could see shops that looked as gloomy as their owners. Rarely any lights were turned on and she noticed countless cobwebs in hidden corners. The windows displayed many hideous looking objects, some which Hermione would never dream of laying her hands on, let alone buy. The shop owners sat or stood by the counters, which she could surprisingly see, considering that a layer of dirt coated the glass windows and doors. They were still but their eyes were trained on any movement outside. She could feel their hawk-like stares and she wanted nothing more than to just bolt out of there. But she couldn't. She knew she couldn't. Draco. She had to stay, for him. And stay she would. Draco straightened himself and looked around, a bit hesitantly, before putting an impassive look on his face, standing tall with his shoulders back. Hermione then knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to convince himself mentally that everything was and would be okay. By looking confident, he would feel confident. He was, after all, a Malfoy. He was one of the richest wizards and he knew it. However, things had changed. She knew that he was aware of it. He knew that the War had given his family a bad reputation, even if he didn't know what exactly had happened. And at this point, Hermione nearly smiled. She had this absurd feeling of warmth. She felt as though Draco were a nine year old who wanted to prove to his mommy and daddy that he was a grown man. And she couldn't help but find it amusing. "Well, Malfoy, lead the way." This was all it took for him to walk forward with that usual Malfoy air of haughtiness. She followed him, cowering behind him when witches and wizards who walked past them threw disgusted looks at her. They were, after all, highly ranked as compared to her in terms of blood status. Though she was certain they weren't as intelligent as her. They found Borgin and Burkes and it was just as bad as the other shops in Knockturn Alley. It was chilly inside, and stuffy from all the bits and pieces lying around. The floor was grimy, the floorboards creaking as they treaded slowly. Hideous masks lined the walls, human bones were lined up on the counter and spiked objects hung from the ceiling. Hermione was absolutely nauseated by the sight before her. Draco, however, looked as though he had been in there everyday, he looked totally unaffected. "Mr Borgin," Draco nodded to the man who had just appeared from the top of the stairs. He hobbled down slowly, each stair he took threatening to cave in. He had long greasy hair, a sharp nose and he wore torn and tattered robes that looked like they hadn't been washed in ages. Hermione nearly grimaced at the sight of him. However, his face held a look of terror. "Mr... Mr Malfoy. W-what brings you h-here?" His voice was thick and raspy, and was barely audible. He coughed violently after he spoke. Apparently the War had taken a toll on Mr Borgin. "Mr Borgin," Hermione stepped forward. "My name is Hermione Granger. I am here with Malfoy and we would like to see the Vanishing Cabinet in this shop. I believe it is still here?" Mr Borgin, as though he just noticed her there, raised his eyebrows and turned his head towards her. He eyed her up and down, momentarily forgetting Draco's presence, making her feel as though she was a mouse, and him a snake, waiting for the right moment to feed on her. Then, after a few long moments, he nodded. He gestured for them to follow him upstairs and they moved along gingerly. "H-here it is... Survived the War, this old thing. Surprised it did, really... Mr Malfoy here, you uh, came to see it once in your Sixth Year, didn't you? And this young lady here, Miss Granger, did you say? You seem familiar... You came in here asking about Mr Malfoy, if I wasn't mistaken... Here you go, take your time with it..." Mr Borgin coughed violently again, and left a blushing Hermione and confused Draco. Apparently, Mr Borgin had a really good memory. He even remembered the time when Hermione had tried getting information from him about what Draco had wanted. However, he still seemed as afraid of Draco as he had been back in their Sixth Year. She would've been too if she were him. Fenrir Greyback had been an absolute terror to everyone in the Wizarding World. The Vanishing Cabinet stood at the corner of the room, looking very bashed up from the War. Hermione raised an eyebrow at Draco, and gestured to the cabinet. "Do what you need to do, Malfoy." He reluctantly nodded and walked up to it. He looked it up and down, then trailed his hand over the door knob. He opened it, and turned around, looking at Hermione in hesitation. "You can't put anything inside, the Vanishing Cabinet in Hogwarts was destroyed in the Room of Requirement during the fiendfyre. So even if you put something inside, the passageway has already been destroyed." She shook her head. "Well... If I can't do anything then what now?" He spoke up looking more confused and defeated than anything. "Maybe you would like to just try and remember what happened? Think of what you would do with a Vanishing Cabinet in relation to Hogwarts. How it could be of use to the Death... The Death Eaters back then. Why Voldemort would ask you to repair it. Think slowly, Malfoy. Take your time," She tried being patient with him. She was still not used to him being so reserved and was afraid she'd strike a nerve if she said something wrong. He sighed and nodded. Leaning against the cupboard so he was facing Hermione, he closed his eyes. He tried. He tried to think. He tried to remember. But he just couldn't. _Vanishing Cabinet... There was one in Borgin and Burkes, and there used to be one in the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts. Granger said that it acted as a passageway? So... During the War it... Perhaps allowed the Death Eaters to get into Hogwarts by entering the Vanishing Cabinet in Borgin and Burkes? So that's what happened..._ Still, though Draco had it figured out, he couldn't remember anything. None of his memories came back to him. "Hey, Malfoy?" Hermione's voice broke Draco's train of thought. He opened his eyes and turned towards where she was standing. "Look at this." He raised an eyebrow and made his way to where she was standing. An opal necklace rested in a box on top of a drawer. It was intricately designed, with about 20 opals studded on it. It gleamed in the few streaks of sunlight that filtered into the shop. Even Draco had to admit, it looked stunning. He made a move to pick it up. Before Hermione could stop him, his hand froze. _A hand accepted the package. "Give this to anyone who goes to the toilet during the Hogsmeade trip tomorrow. Get them to take it to Dumbledore." A head nodded stiffly, as he made his exit without another backward glance._ And then, everything went black. He nearly fell, but Hermione managed to hold onto him. She shook him. "Malfoy. Malfoy..." Just as suddenly as before, he was conscious again. He steadied himself and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Then, he blinked twice. "What..." "Come on. Let's... Let's just come back later. Or tomorrow. Come on," Hermione persisted. And she once again dragged him, down the stairs and out of the shop, shouting a quick "Thank you, we'll be back again!" to Mr Borgin. "Come on, I'll apparate us to Hogsmeade. Let's get Butterbeer. You look like you need it," Hermione said wearily as she took hold of his hand. "Here, have this," Hermione offered a glass mug of Butterbeer to Draco ten minutes later, and sat beside him under a tree somewhere on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, near the Shrieking Shack. She had apparated them there so that they could rest for a while. She felt like he was too pressurized and wouldn't be able to remember anything if he kept pushing himself. That was what she thought had happened to him. Pressure. Also, she kind of liked that place. She remembered when she and Ron had walked along the fence there in the snow, just talking. Ron. She missed him. They had both decided that they didn't want to risk their friendship should their relationship fail, so they broke it off. It was a calm one though, and they were still best friends. However, Ron had been busy for the past few months, what with the remaining Death Eaters that still managed to escape from Hogwarts after the War. He and his team of Aurors were working very hard to capture every last Death Eater and restore peace in the Wizarding World. While Hermione was proud of him for doing this, she missed her best friend. The Trio had not properly met up for about half a year, and Hermione felt as though she were drifting away from them. She saw Harry everyday in St. Mungo's but it just wasn't the same. Nobody knew why Harry chose to be a Healer instead of an Auror. He said he didn't know either, it was just an instinct. That he wouldn't regret being a Healer. So he declined the job offer of being an Auror, and chose to help Hermione out in St. Mungo's. Draco nodded in appreciation and took the mug from her, taking a small sip. He sighed again and closed his eyes, resting his head on the tree bark. Hermione was quite alarmed by then. She had never seen Malfoy that disconcerted before. He usually hid all his emotions but now there he was, looking so unhappy that Hermione could've sworn he was actually human for once. _What am I thinking about?_ Hermione mentally slapped herself. _Of course he's human._ "What's gotten into you? You aren't usually like this. Are you not willing to carry out the treatment? Because if you aren't, I―" "Shut up, Granger. I'm having a really bad day here. Just let me have some peace." "No, I won't! We came all the way here to help you, Malfoy. You! And you looked so terrible back there and you even fai―" "I'm warning you, Granger. _Shut up._" "Tell me why you're being like this then! Don't you think it's bad to keep things to yourself? Let it all out, why don't you, Malfoy? I _deserve_ to know. I'm your Healer! I'm _supposed_ to help you―" "DAMN IT, GRANGER!" Draco, to Hermione's astonishment, crushed the mug in his hand, the glass shattering and the remaining Butterbeer spilling over onto his hand and robes. "Malfoy! Your... Your hand, it's bleeding..." Hermione immediately set her mug of Butterbeer down and moved to kneel in front of him and she got her wand out of her robe pocket. Malfoy gritted his teeth and leant back against the tree, looking away from Hermione and his bloodied hand, which she had grasped. She slowly cleaned off the Butterbeer from his robes, and then from his hand, at the same time removing the blood. She then extracted the shards of glass that were embedded in his palm, before transfiguring a flower nearby into a bandage, which she wrapped around his hand carefully. She looked over at Draco, who hadn't moved an inch since she started healing his wound. She rolled her eyes and got up, wanting to move back to her original position of leaning against the tree, when he said quietly, so quietly she thought she imagined it, "Thanks, Granger." With that, he stood up. She grabbed her drink and followed him. "Let's go back to the Manor," He turned to look at her, waiting for an answer. She paused, and then nodded. They had been there for only a short time but she had to admit, they were both mentally exhausted. She held out her arm and he grabbed it. Draco was about to apparate them back to the Manor when he was shoved roughly onto the floor, and he heard a familiar voice. "What are you doing, ferret?" He looked up to see Weasley grabbing Granger's shoulders and glaring down at him. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I CAN'T APOLOGIZE ENOUGH. SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG. I have been trying to plan the story and it wasn't going the way I wanted it to! However I'm quite satisfied with how the chapter ended, Draco's not a total softie! 3000 words, my longest chapter yet! It just keeps getting longer doesn't it? Well, tomorrow I'll be moving to my school hostel so i won't have constant wifi like i do now, but I'll still try to move on to the next chapter! Anyways good news, my old laptop (which was really quite terrible) has been replaced by a new one which I'm currently using and I love it! Which means I might use Microsoft Word to type out chapter 7! Maybe. Anyways. I think I need to address some issues. Maybe just one, heh. I know Draco was TOTALLY out of character and I hate that I wrote him that way but I just couldn't insert his horrible personality here. I allowed this on the basis that he was having a really bad day (which he kind of was). Memory regaining is a very exhausting process therefore he faints everytime. Yes yes I know, weird but hopefully it's realistic enough! So yep. ENJOY AND REVIEW AND SHARE 3**

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"Ron! Let go of me!" Hermione struggled against Ron's strong grasp, but to no avail. "No, not until you tell me what this Death Eater here was trying to do to you!" Ron snarled at Draco, who had calmly picked himself off the floor, brushing away the dirt on his robes. Draco opened his mouth to say something but Hermione shushed him. "Ron, hasn't Harry told you? I'm his personal Healer. Lucius didn't only Crucio him, he _obliviated_ him. So since I'm the only Healer besides Harry who knows Malfoy, St. Mungo's put me in charge of him. Calm down, he won't do anything to me. Merlin, Malfoy doesn't even remember the War, he can't hurt me," Hermione attempted to reassure her best friend. Draco just rolled his eyes, which caught the attention of Ron. "Are you kidding me? He knows Dark Magic, 'Mione! How do you know he doesn't recall his past?" Ron sneered. Draco just kept silent, refusing to defend himself. "I'm a Healer, Ron, St. Mungo's has obviously performed the necessary tests on him to confirm his memory loss." This time , it was Hermione who rolled her eyes. Draco just snickered, but plastered on an impassive face and folded his arms across his chest at Ron's glare. "I don't buy any of that," Ron huffed. "You do remember what you did back there, don't you, ferret? Letting in the Death Eaters through the Vanishing Cabinet, attempting to kill Dumbledore, seeing Hermione get tortured in your Manor―" "Ron, shut up," Hermione pleaded softly. "Us saving your sorry arse in the fiendfyre, and then you leaving after the final battle. You did Hogwarts shame, Malfoy," Ron practically spat his name out in utter disgust. "Ron... That's enough," Hermione persisted. She looked over at Malfoy, who was completely confused as to what had happened during the War. His eyes met hers, and she swore she could see... Hurt? In his eyes. But once again he put on a nonchalant expression and simply stared ahead. Draco knew she saw it. The hurt in his eyes. He wouldn't ever admit it to her though, even if she asked. His heart sank with each passing moment, knowing he had done such evil. Why? Why had he done it? Draco was no good person to start with, he remembered all the times he had taunted and bullied the Trio. But he had never expected to play such an active role in the War. He wasn't prepared for it. He knew he had to. But much as he hated Dumbledore, much as he hated the Trio, he couldn't bring himself to believe he had actually done all those things. Ron continued, "Your family weren't any better either. The Malfoys are a disgrace to Wizarding Society! Your father and aunt were both Voldemort's most loyal followers, and they did terrible things. Your aunt killed her own cousins. Sirius Black and Nymphadora Tonks. All because they were in the Order of the Phoenix. And then she personally tortured Hermione to get her to reveal information about Harry. You know that! She used the Cruciatius Curse on her and―" "Ronald! _Shut up_!" Hermione was crying by then. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she was holding her arm. Ron didn't seem to notice, he was so pissed off at Malfoy. "Carved the word Mudblood on her arm. She _carved it out_, Malfoy! It's a permanent scar on her arm now! And then don't forget the time when she participated in the assassination of Dumbledore! She encouraged you to kill him! Snape was the one who ended up killing him, but she encouraged you to! Then again, you were too cowardly to do it, weren't you, Malfoy? All of you Death Eaters are nothing but scum! Scum, Malfoy!" All this while, Draco had been looking at Granger, who was desperately trying to stop Weasley from telling him anything. He watched as she sobbed. He felt disgusted. Disgusted that his aunt had done such a thing. He also felt disgusted because Weasley couldn't see how much the memory hurt Granger. His eyes shifted to Weasley's red face and he was about to lash out at him when he paused and clutched his head. _"Well, look who we have here," A pair of footsteps made her way to stand behind Draco, slowly and gracefully. She leant up and praised, "Well done, Draco." She planted a kiss on the back of his shoulder, possibly noticing how he was shaking from head to toe. Bellatrix Lestrange strode forward towards Dumbledore, her heels clicking on the wooden floor. "Good evening Bellatrix," Dumbledore greeted calmly, as though he wasn't being surrounded by a group of Death Eaters who all had one common goal that night. "I think introductions are in order, don't you?" "Love to, Albus, but I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule," came the reply, starting off as calm as Dumbledore's, then ending in a harsh whisper. During that time, Draco had subconsciously moved back, away from Dumbledore and his aunt. "Do it!" she encouraged him impatiently, her shiny dark hair flapping in the raging winds outside. His wand was still aimed at Dumbledore but he already knew he was unable to carry out the deed. "He doesn't have the stomach, just like his father," Another voice rang out in the Astronomy Tower. Fenrir Greyback. The most feared werewolf of all time. "Let me finish him in my own way." His voice grew louder at the mere thought of being the one to kill Dumbledore. "No!" Bellatrix immediately objected. "The Dark Lord was clear, the boy's to do it!" She snarled, not even for one moment taking her eyes off Dumbledore. "This is your moment, do it," Bellatrix's dark eyes flashed, finally moving away to meet Draco's unsure ones. "Go on, Draco," her voice rose about an octave in anger. "Now!" Draco was too petrified to wince at the shrill voice of his furious aunt, and instead turned back to Dumbledore. Seconds passed, but it felt like years. He lifted his shaking arm, his wand pointed at Dumbledore's chest, and was about to open his mouth― "No!" A familiar voice stopped him as the door burst open, revealing Snape with his wand clutched firmly in his hand._ "Malfoy!" Granger's choked voice was the last thing he heard before he blacked out once again. Draco felt himself being prodded awake. "Malfoy, come on, stand up," Hermione had removed herself from Ron's grasp and moved over to stand above him, her arm outstretched towards him. "Are you serious, 'Mione? You're helping him? What happened anyway, Malfoy? Couldn't take the insults? Funny, it took you many strokes of the Cruciatus Curse for you to pass out in the past. Shows just how weak you've gotten," Ron sneered at Draco who had grudgingly accepted Hermione's help and with her help, stood up. Draco, for the first time since Weasley had started making jabs at him, growled. However, he stayed silent. "Ron, I told you, what I said is true. Don't you believe me?" Hermione wiped her face clear of the trails her tears had left from just minutes before. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy, but she acted as though a single tear had not left her eye. "I believe you. But I don't believe this Death Eater," His gaze softened at Hermione's pleading look, but hardened again as he noticed that Malfoy had moved forward slightly to half shield Hermione. Draco was beyond pissed by then. He was confused by the flashback, but he didn't like the way Weasley was talking to Granger. He had said worse, but they had been enemies. Weasley was Granger's best friend, he couldn't believe that he had ignored her pleas to let it be, and then continued insulting him. He subconsciously moved forward so Granger was half behind him, safe from Weasley's touch. He wouldn't allow him to get any closer to her, in case he did anything to her. At this thought, Draco was shocked. _Why am I doing this for... Her?_ He tried searching for an answer in his mind, but none came. "Now, Weasley, aren't you taking this a bit too far?" Draco folded his arms across his chest and glared at Weasley. "Malfoy, don't. Don't start. Remember the Vow," Hermione whispered so Ron couldn't hear. Draco paused at her words, then nodded slightly and told Ron, "I'll let you off. For now. Come on, Granger." Her arm on his shoulder, they apparated back to the Manor, leaving behind a furious and hurt Ron. Hermione entered the study room and plonked herself down on the couch, burying her head in her hands. She was mentally exhausted. Draco entered the room a few seconds later and cautiously approached her. He stood before her, unsure as to whether he should be concerned about the brunette. Sighing, he sat on the corner of the couch, away from her. He rested his elbow on the arm rest and leaned his head on his hand. Closing his eyes, he decided he would let Granger speak whenever she wanted to. He heard her heavy but steady breathing and then he heard her speak. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Ron didn't mean it, he doesn't understand your situation right now." He opened his eyes to see her looking straight ahead, a troubled look on her face. He turned to face her, and said nothing. "W-why did you faint? What happened?" She tried changing the subject. Draco was momentarily taken aback by her bluntness. "Uhh... Well, I think I... I think I remembered something. When I was reaching for the necklace, I suddenly heard a voice. My voice. Telling someone to give the package containing the necklace to give it to anyone who went to the toilet during the Hogsmeade trip, who would in turn give it to Dumbledore. And then... I don't know. I just blacked out. Granger, what... What was that necklace? Why did I remember that?" Hermione listened, wide eyed as he mentioned the cursed opal necklace they had seen at Borgin and Burkes earlier. "Well, Malfoy, I'm guessing that you remembered the necklace because you were the one handling it. You bought it from Borgin and Burkes in Sixth Year, and used the Imperius Curse on Madam Rosmerta, from the Three Broomsticks, ordering her to Imperio anyone who went to the toilet and give her or him the necklace, and then order them to give it to Dumbledore, like you said earlier. It was all your doing. Katie Bell was the unfortunate one to get the package. However the package never did reach Dumbledore. Katie touched the necklace by accident and got cursed. Anyone who touched that necklace would get cursed and anyone who wore the necklace would meet instant death. Katie was really lucky to have survived. She had to be admitted into St. Mungo's for a few weeks though." She paused to allow him to digest the information. "I caused that? Why?" "Voldemort," Hermione continued, "He wanted you to kill Dumbledore. Lucius had requested for Voldemort to give you a task as a newly joined Death Eater. Voldemort had demanded that you kill Dumbledore. First you tried giving him the opal necklace, which obviously failed. Then you tried getting Madam Rosmerta to give him a bottle of poisoned mead through Horace Slughorn, our then Potions master and Head of Slytherin. However, he had kept it for himself and Ron somehow ended up drinking it, causing him to nearly choke to death. Harry saved him by shoving a bezoar down his throat. When that, too, had failed, you resorted to attempting to Avada Dumbledore when he and Harry returned from destroying Horcruxes. You only managed to disarm him of his wand, though. Like Ron said earlier, Snape was the one who killed Dumbledore. You were on the verge of breaking down. Dumbledore knew you were no murderer. He tried offering protection for you and your parents should you change sides, but Bellatrix Lestrange―" Hermione stopped abruptly at the mention of her name. She had managed to somewhat distract herself from thinking about the time Bellatrix had tortured her in the very Manor she resided in right now, but the name just wouldn't stop haunting her. She shook her head clear of the bad thoughts. "She was encouraging you to kill him, but you just couldn't. You lowered your wand. Then, Snape burst in right then and killed Dumbledore himself. All of you then proceeded to flee from Hogwarts. That was towards the end of Sixth Year." Draco's head was swimming with information. He now knew that the second flashback he had had was that of when Dumbledore died. "The... The second one was... I think... It was probably none other than the memory of when Snape killed Dumbledore. I heard my Aunt Bella's voice, I felt myself shaking, I saw Snape arriving. They wanted me to fulfill my task but... But I couldn't. I just couldn't." Draco looked down at his lap and sighed. "I was a terrible person, wasn't I?" Hermione gave a small smile at this. "You sure were. Even worse than in your younger years at Hogwarts." (That night) _Hermione heard her screams resounding in her head, she felt the pain that shot up her arm when Bellatrix carved out the one word she hated to be called. She could feel eyes on her writhing body, and knew that nobody would save her. She felt herself losing consciousness..._ She jolted awake, perspiring, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. She buried her head in her hands and stayed that way for a while. She had successfully pushed the thoughts of her torture out of her mind for over a year, but when Ron had brought it up... She wouldn't be able to sleep anymore, she was sure of it. She got out of bed and walked down and out of the Manor, into the Malfoy's garden. The moon shine brightly and the sky was clear, with few lone stars. There was a light breeze and the air was fresh. In the middle of the garden stood a small fountain, sunk into the ground. Water spurted out of it steadily and Hermione could hear the sound of running water. Bushes surrounded it and she saw countless species of flowers, of all colours, under the moonlight. There were trees planted everywhere which rustled in the wind. It was so peaceful, so calm. Hermione sighed in content, her nightmare forgotten. She walked around the fountain, admiring its intricacy. Her hair was swept back, her brown curls flowing out. She made her way over to the swing which was hung from a tree branch, and nearly screamed when she saw a figure perched on it, his silky blond hair shining. "Malfoy?" She half-whispered. He nearly jumped ten feet in the air. Turning around, he sighed in... Relief? "Malfoy! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" "I could ask you the same question," Draco raised an eyebrow, standing up to face her. "Oh, uhh... Well... I couldn't sleep," Hermione finished lamely. She didn't exactly want to tell her ex enemy about her nightmares. Especially not nightmares about his aunt torturing her. He gave her a look that said he didn't believe her, but he let it go. He cleared his throat. "About the Unbreakable Vow, it's a good thing you... You reminded me. You know." _"Mother! We need you to assist us in making an Unbreakable Vow," Draco knocked on Narcissa's study door, Granger behind him. The door flung open. "What?!" Narcissa's shrill voice pierced the silence. Draco winced, but continued. "An Unbreakable Vow. Granger here and I agreed on having an Unbreakable Vow so we wouldn't end up at each other's throats for the rest of the treatment." Narcissa looked over at Granger in disbelief, hoping she would say it wasn't true. However, she nodded. "Yes, _he_ was the one who suggested it, in fact. It's kind of childish but I don't want to end up murdering your son, Narcissa." Narcissa heaved a sigh and opened the door wider. "This cannot be happening..." She muttered under her breath. Both Draco and Hermione ignored her and entered the study. "Kneel opposite each other and grasp each other's right hand," She started. They did as she said. She pointed the tip of her wand to their linked hands, and a beam of bright red light shot out of her wand, coiling around their hands. Draco started, "Will you, Granger, vow to leave the Manor once I've regained all my memories?" "I will," Came the solemn reply. A stream of fire was emitted out of Narcissa's wand, winding around their interlinked hands. "Will you, Malfoy, vow to not hurt anyone during this process, no matter how you may feel?" He rolled his eyes, "I will." Yet another thin streak of fire gushed out of Narcissa's wand, joining with the first to form a chain which forced Draco and Hermione's loose grip to tighten. "And will you vow to leave my life once you've finished healing me?" The pause was so momentary that none of them acknowledged it, but a pause was still a pause. "I will." The final and unique tongue of flame snaked its way around their joined hands, glowing red before it turned white and disappeared, causing both Draco and Hermione to immediately pull away from each other._ "You could've died," Hermione narrowed her eyes slightly at him. He just looked ahead. "What's wrong with you? You seem a bit... Off today," She frowned. The entire day he had been nothing but moody and quiet, unlike the obnoxious Malfoy she knew so well. At this, he stiffened. His look hardened. He wasn't going to tell her. He couldn't believe it. He was getting soft. He forgot how to hide his feelings. Draco looked at her with an unreadable expression, turned around and walked away, leaving Hermione standing there with a confused look on her face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I can't emphasize on how sorry I am :( it's been a really busy school term and I just couldn't get any feels :( this chapter took me so long! I wrote the first chapter in one month and I somehow managed to complete the rest last night! The holidays help me write :) there's quite a huge change in Draco in this chapter, I'm honestly quite afraid it'll be out of place /: but hey, he has to change in some point of time right? Hermione becomes slightly more open this chapter too! I can't believe it. I thought I wouldn't be able to incorporate my prompt word for this chapter (snake) in, but it appeared in the most unexpected place hurhur :P just read on! Review please : I haven't written for quite a while and I'm scared ): love you all! 3**

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"This is troubling, Narcissa. The treatment just doesn't seem to be working," Granger told his mother. Draco had been making his way to the kitchen the next morning when he was stopped by their conversation. He couldn't help but eavesdrop, it sounded so serious. "St. Mungo's has never dealt with an obliviated patient before, so we're trying out different ways and means to help him out. Apparently taking him through from the start doesn't help. The memories... They come back randomly. First he remembered using the Imperius Curse on Madam Rosmerta and passing her the cursed opal necklace. Then he recalled the night of Dumbledore's death, at the Astronomy Tower. It's really queer, yet interesting." She pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and placed her elbows on the table. Narcissa, from opposite her, nodded as she listened and responded. "I trust you, Hermione. Do what you need to do." Draco sensed it was the end of the conversation, and walked in. "Good morning, Mother," he said briskly, ignoring Granger. Narcissa raised an eyebrow and looked over at her but said nothing. Hermione had on an impassive expression, and was quietly eating her breakfast. Narcissa frowned, then coughed. "So, what's the plan for today?" At the same time, both teenagers shrugged. Hermione looked away while Draco folded his arms. She rolled her eyes. "Let's go to Hogwarts, shall we?" Narcissa shot Draco a pointed look and he groaned. "Yes, Mother. We shall." Hermione sighed. "Sure." A Quidditch pitch could be seen in the distance. The water in the lake seemed to glisten in the sunlight. A magnificent castle stood there, looking as sturdy despite the state it had been just two years ago. In the castle, young wizards and watches could be seen rushing through the corridors, or flying around in the big open field within the school compounds. Outside the castle, where a lone hut which led to the forbidden forest was situated, not a single sound could be heard. There was a sudden whoosh, and Narcissa, Draco and Hermione appeared. They looked at one another, and proceeded towards the castle. "I've cleared it with the school. Professor Mcgonagall is aware of your condition, and she says we're always welcome, as long as we don't cause any trouble," Hermione spoke to Draco curtly. He flinched slightly. Granger really knew how to make people feel uncomfortable. She stalked off towards the castle, with Narcissa and Draco in tow. Once they reached Mcgonagall's office, Hermione knocked warily. The majestic stairway opened and the trio entered. "Ahh, you're here. Welcome back to Hogwarts, Hermione, Draco, Narcissa." Mcgonagall looked up from her work and smiled weakly. She was getting older. And taking up Headmaster position did take its toll on her. From her wall, Dumbledore woke up from his nap. "Well good morning to you three," He greeted, stretching. Hermione smiled, while Narcissa and Draco simply nodded awkwardly. "What can we do for you today?" Mcgonagall questioned. "We would just like to take a walk around, Professor. Just to, you know, maybe jog a memory? We figured that there isn't a specific way to get him to remember anything. The memories just come back naturally, in no particular order. So we're just hoping for the best," Hermione scratched her head, feeling embarrassed that that was the only plan they had. "Of course, Hermione. You can take all the time you want here. Just don't disturb the young ones," Mcgonagall said warmly. Hermione thanked her, and the three left. "I should leave you two now. _Please_ don't murder each other," Narcissa gave them an exasperated look as they exited Mcgonagall's office. Draco and Hermione looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Yeah right." "You wish." She just shook her head and spun on her heel, leaving the two alone in the deserted hallway. Hermione, too, turned around, expecting Draco to follow her. He didn't. "Ferret, can you stop standing there like the daft idiot you are?" She scowled at him. Draco simply crossed his arms over his chest. "And why should I follow you when you're being so crabby?" "_Me, crabby?_ Well, I'm sorry, but I don't seem to recall ignoring you first thing in the morning!" Her voice rose. He just huffed and strode past her. "Are you going or not?" He tapped his foot impatiently while waiting for her to drop the subject. "Not until you stop being a spoiled brat and explain what's going on!" Hermione grabbed her hair, looking almost ready to scream. "Not happening," He narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine then, Malfoy. If you don't want to bloody get well and regain your memories, _fine_! Go back to your bloody Manor and don't ever ask me for help again!" She hissed at him. Just then, something struck him. "NO! Granger! No! Don't. We have to complete this healing process. The Unbreakable Vow. You'll die if you give up." For some reason, Draco was getting agitated. "Fine! Let me die then!" Hermione's voice was getting choked up. "Just a few days and I can't stand you, Malfoy. Why? Why are you like this? Why me? Since young, Malfoy, you have done nothing but made my life a living hell. What have I done to you? I don't understand you at all! Sometimes you just seem different from the Malfoy I knew. I thought you had changed. You seemed so vulnerable. The walls were crumbling, Malfoy. But then out of the blue, I see this side of you again and I think, no. You haven't changed. Why, Malfoy?" A lone tear escaped. Draco could do nothing but stare at her. "Why do you care?" Draco whispered. "Because the war taught me something, Malfoy. I didn't save your life for nothing. I just don't want anymore hatred. It's pointless. I just want us to be civil. Look at what happened over the past years. After the war, I just wanted a peaceful life. But no. We just had to have this," She gestured between herself and Draco, "this, whatever you call it, again. I thought I'd never have to talk to you after the war. But then you got obliviated. And now I'm helping you. I just want to get this over and done with, don't you get it?" She buried her head in her hands. Draco walked up to her unsurely. He lifted up his hands, then froze for a moment, before gently taking hold of her arms and bringing them away from her face. She had tear trails on her cheeks and her eyes were brimming with more. She took a shuddering breath and looked away from him. "Granger. I... I don't know. I really hated you back then. I don't, anymore. I think. But there are just some things you don't understand. And I just can't let you in. Do you get it? I want this to be over as soon as possible too. And I'm trying to give you a chance. To give us a chance to be civil to each other. But we will never be anything more. I know that and you know that. So I can't let you in. It's just too complicated. My life is screwed up, Granger. And because I can't let you in, I choose to treat you like this. But at the same time, I don't hate you. Not anymore. Does this make sense? This is really un-Malfoy like, but I'm sorry, Granger. I really am. I am trying, but you can't expect much from me. Because this is who I am. This is _what_ I am. Screwed up." He let go and took a step back, refusing to meet her eyes. This time, Hermione moved forward to close the gap and placed her hand on his shoulder, albeit awkwardly. "You are not screwed up, Malfoy. There will always be someone who can help. As Professor Dumbledore used to say..." "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Both voices were heard and they smiled. From around the corner, Narcissa smiled and left for the Manor, for real this time. "No. No way are you getting me on that thing," Hermione refused once again, stepping away from the Firebolt that Draco had just presented her. "Oh yes. Oh yes you are," He smirked. "Malfoys get what they want, Granger." In no way were they best friends but that episode had in some way lifted the tension and lightened the mood and they were currently at the Quidditch pitch after a fruitless walk around Hogwarts. "No. Just no. Malfoy, I swear, if you― ARGHHHHH!" Her protests were in vain as Draco dragged her onto the Firebolt with himself sitting in front of her, and kicked off. She grabbed onto him with all her might and screamed as they rose up higher and higher into the air. He snickered as he leaned forward, zooming faster. Hermione's screams were lost in the wind and she just buried her head in his back, squeezing her eyes shut. He zipped around the castle towers, his hair whipping in the breeze. He hadn't felt so... Free in a long time. He flew over the treetops and closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the freedom that greeted him. _Everything was falling. Flames were lapping up everything in sight, and it was scorching hot. Snake heads chased them unmercifully. Draco couldn't run anywhere. So he climbed. He climbed up the seemingly endless tower of old objects piled on top of one another. Crabbe and Goyle followed closely. Higher and higher they went, but the flames followed. Crabbe grabbed onto yet another object but slipped. With one last yell, the flames devoured him. All Draco could do was watch on, his entire body shaking with fear. He couldn't move anymore. He was paralyzed with fear. The Golden Trio zoomed past and he looked up, with a pleading look on his face. Not even ten seconds later, Potter came back, reaching out for him. He missed. Turning around, he tried once again. He headed towards Draco and in one swift move grabbed his arm, hoisting him onto the broomstick. They made off towards the exit of the Room of Requirement which seemed to get hotter every second. He could hear the crackling of the fire. Serpent tongues lashed out at them as they dodged yet another falling bookshelf. Granger had conjured a temporary shield to allow them to pass through to the door. Just as Potter and him left the room, they collapsed on the hard floor. Draco, by then perspiring with tears of fright spilling over his cheeks, scrambled to get up and hurriedly fled the scene._ "MALFOYYYYYYYYY!" Hermione screamed as Draco fell off the Firebolt suddenly. She instinctively grabbed the handle of the broom and sped towards the falling teenager. He must've remembered something, she thought to herself in panic. As she advanced on him, she slowed down ever so slightly and reached her hand out. Just a bit more... She caught hold of his flailing arm and with all her might, she pulled him onto the broom so he leant against her back. She stopped abruptly midair and with her chest pounding, she placed his limp hands around her waist. She wiped the perspiration off her forehead and slowly made her way back to solid ground. As they landed, she tumbled off the broom, taking Draco down with her. Lying there on the ground, she closed her eyes, breathing heavily. She was trembling in fear. Rolling to the side, Hermione curled up into a ball and continued heaving in and out until she finally calmed down. Slowly sitting up, she wiped the stray tears from her face and gently shook Draco awake. "Malfoy... Get up. Malfoy..." His eyes opened slightly. Groaning, he sat up again. "Granger? What happened? Granger, are you okay? You look... Shaken up," Draco had taken one look at her and his eyes had flown open. She looked like a mess. Her hair was windswept, her lips were pale and her eyes held utmost fear, with remains of unshed tears in her eyes. She was shaking from head to toe and Draco did the most gentlemanly and sensible thing he could think of at that moment. He took off his robe, leaving on his jumper and pants on, wrapping it around Granger and pulling her close to his chest. He didn't know why he did it. But Granger was so freaked out. That was the only thing that came to his mind. "What did you remember?" She mumbled into his jumper. She had been shocked at first but she was so shaken up that she couldn't be bothered to move away. At this, Draco's eyes widened. The fire! "The fire. The Room of Requirement. It must've been. Crabbe... He died. He set the Fiendfyre but failed to escape himself... You, Potter and Weasley saved Goyle and I..." Draco trailed off. "Wait, I didn't black out in midair, did I? Please tell me I didn't," He grabbed Hermione's shoulders and pulled her away, looking directly into her eyes. "Actually, you did. You fell off the broom and I had to catch you and bring you back to safety. _Never_ do that to me again, Malfoy. I nearly had a heart attack! You know what, I am definitely never getting on a broom ever again. No buts," She glared at him. Draco opened his mouth to say something but Hermione's look was enough to shut him up. "Fine, fine. I'm sorry for blacking out. Urgh, do you think it only happens to me? Or everyone who's in the process of regaining their memories?" "Hm, I don't really know actually. I'll have to go check up on that. But we won't really know until we try healing the other patients. You, being the first, are unfortunately our guinea pig," Hermione smirked. The past events not at the top of their priorities then, were forgotten as words of bickering floated up in the air and were whipped away by the wind. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I'm so so sorry :( I'm just so busy with the upcoming exams and lack of time and inspiration! I always hated it when authors updated slowly but now I can understand and I understand if you guys hate me :( sighs. But well. Here's Chapter 8! I know it's really short but I promise it'll be better next chapter :) I realize there aren't really many scenes Draco missed out on, so I'll spend the next few chapters building up on his and Hermione's friendship :) okay too much info! Hopefully I can finish one more chapter before I fully dedicate my time to studying! Enjoy :)**

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"CRUCIO!" She felt herself slipping into unconsciousness. She couldn't. She had to stay awake. Harry and Ron would save her. She knew it. _Come on, Hermione, hang in there._ Just as the pain started to subside, another jolt of pain ripped through her body. A scream tore through her though she tried to suppress it. She heard a loud cackle above her. Forcing her eyes open, she squinted as light flooded into her eyes. A witch with raven black hair and manic dark eyes towered above her, a sadistic grin on her face. "How do you feel, you little Mudblood?" She gripped her by the hair and yanked it so that they were looking directly into each other's eyes. "Fantastic." Hermione bit the inside of her cheek as she knew the consequences of her talking back. But she wouldn't bow down to Bellatrix. She wouldn't let her win. Even if it meant death. "You bitch!" A stinging slap greeted her cheek and Hermione tasted blood in her mouth where she had bit down too hard. "You're going to pay for this," Bellatrix sneered. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and anticipated the soon to come excruciating pain. "Crucio!" A pair of rough hands grabbed her in the attempt of stopping her from thrashing about on her bed. It was no easy task. She was shaking uncontrollably and she was now curled up in a ball, tears streaming down her face. "Granger! Wake up, Granger! It's me, come on, wake up! _Granger_!" Draco sat down on the edge of the bed and firmly grabbed her, trying to wake her up, but what he least expected was that she leaned into him and continued crying. In her sleep. He felt her shuddering against his chest and he suddenly felt a wave of sympathy wash over him. He didn't want to. He couldn't help it. He assumed that she had once again dreamt of his Aunt Bella, and he knew it was not easy for her to put it in the past. It had been a traumatic experience, to say the least. He quietly brushed her hair out of her face and pulled her closer to him. She had calmed down slightly but was still crying. Draco awkwardly patted her back. _Oh screw it. What am I doing?_ He pushed the thoughts out of his head and stayed with Granger until she finally calmed down. He stood up and gently lay her head on the pillow, and covered the blanket over her limp body. He then exited the room, the door shutting with a soft click. "I don't know, Mother. It's quite disturbing. And I can't blame her. It did, after all, happen in this household." "The poor child, I wonder if she's going to be okay. All the more you should appreciate what she's doing for you, Draco. It's not easy on her and yet she's willing to help you. An ex enemy, too!" "Yes Mother, I'm trying..." Hermione trudged into the dining room then, seeming totally oblivious to the conversation mother and son had just had about her moments ago. "Morning Narcissa, Draco," She said wearily, plonking herself down on the chair and burying her head in her hands. "Not feeling well, Hermione? Are you okay?" Narcissa probed warily, shooting Draco a look. "Not really. I feel exhausted and I have a bad feeling about something," She groaned. Forcing herself to sit up straight, she picked up her fork and promptly began eating her breakfast. There was this gloomy air around her that had no trouble spreading to Narcissa and Draco. Draco coughed. "Erm, so what's the plan today? Are you... Well enough?" At this, Hermione's eyes opened wide. "Of course! I can't sacrifice your well-being just because of my fatigue. There isn't a specific place we must go to, though." "Do you think we could go to St. Mungo's?" Draco's question caught Hermione off guard. She raised her eyebrows, but nodded. "Sure." "Healer Granger!" "Hey Hermione!" A chorus of greetings arose as Hermione entered the building. She smiled and greeted them back, while Draco followed behind, feeling ever so slightly out of place. Several Healers glared at him as he walked past. He was going to scowl at them when Hermione stopped him. "Don't give them any more reason to hate you. Anyway, remember the Vow." Sighing, Draco nodded. "Fine. Only for the Vow." Giving a knowing smile, she proceeded to lead him in. "So, what do you want to do here?" Hermione questioned, as they strolled along the corridors of St. Mungo's. "I don't know, maybe find out what was going on here while I was unconscious?" He shrugged, putting his hands in his robe pockets. "Here? No offense, Malfoy, but why do you care?" Draco gave her a look in return, but refused to say anything. "Tell me about the patients here." He turned to look at her. "Well, they're currently under observation. Nobody else has been treated yet. You're the only one undergoing treatment." "Why?" Hermione had no answer to that question, in all honesty. She shrugged. "I don't know, your case was the most recently reported, according to Harry. Up to now, you're the only patient that seems well enough to undergo treatment. _You're the only one that was whining about it so much, anyway,_" She added the last part under her breath. Walking towards them was the Head Healer, Amber Jamison. "Healer Jamison," Hermione greeted, nodding at her. "Hermione, Mr Malfoy. Mr Malfoy, I assume you've not yet had your first check up since you were discharged?" He shook his head. "Hermione, do what you need to do." She smiled kindly at the pair and left. "Come on, Malfoy," She beckoned him over to her office, which she hadn't stepped into in a long time. She performed the checks on him, though hesitantly. She awkwardly gestured for him to take off his shirt. "Whatever for?" He raised an eyebrow. "Don't ask, just do it. It's a Healer thing." Grumbling under his breath, he peeled his shirt off. Hermione couldn't help staring at the long gashes across his chest. The Sectumsempra scars. "Malfoy, where'd you get those scars from?" He look confused for a while, then followed her line of sight. "Oh, those? No idea." "Hold on, let me get Harry here. He'll explain." She got up and moved over to the fireplace despite Draco's protests on not wanting to see him. "Harry? It's me, Hermione. Would you mind coming over to my office? ... Malfoy's here, yes. ... No, he's not giving me any trouble. ... The scars. ... Yes, the ones you gave him in Fifth Year. Sectumsempra. ... What? How many did you give him?" The rest of the conversation was lost at the mention of the curse. Draco's head started pounding furiously. His vision clouded. _His hands were shaking against the sink. His legs felt like jelly and tears were threatening to leak out of his eyes. "Don't. Don't... Tell me what's wrong... I can help you..." A sickly sweet voice floated over from one of the cubicles. "No one can help me. I can't do it... I can't... It won't work... And unless I do it soon... He says he'll kill me..." He was crumbling. His defenses, his determination, his world. He couldn't do it. The stress weighing on him was immense. It was life or death. He couldn't hold his tears in any longer. They streamed down his already pale cheeks, stopping at his chin and dripping into the basin. He let it all out. He cried until he was gasping for air. He heaved as his tears dried up and finally let his head lift to look at his appearance in the mirror. However, what caught his attention first was the extra presence in the toilet. Immediately drawing out his wand, he spun around to face Harry. He rid his face of all emotion and fired a hex at Harry. It missed by inches, shattering a lamp on the wall beside him. This caused both parties to unleash hexes and spells at each other, at the same time trying to defend themselves. "No! No! Stop it! Stop! STOP!" Moaning Myrtle wailed, zooming around the toilet in her futile attempt to break up the fight. She screamed as the cistern below her exploded into pieces. Water gushed out and started flooding the toilet. He had to do it. His face contorting at the mere prospect of using an Unforgivable, he shouted with all his might. "Cruci―" But the curse was never delivered. A second later, he stumbled backwards, blood spurting out of a wound on his chest. It was a large gash. He had heard the curse. Sectumsempra. He didn't know what it was, though. Some very dark magic. All he knew was that it hurt. And he was losing consciousness. Slipping into oblivion..._ Draco opened his eyes slowly, squinting at the amount of light entering his eyes. Hermione and Harry were both sitting on chairs by the examining table. "_Again?_" He questioned. Hermione nodded, "You fell. We had to bring you up and make sure you didn't have a concussion from fainting so much." Sighing, Draco turned to Harry. "Sectumsempra. Where did you learn it from, anyway? Nobody ever taught us that dark magic." Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat and cleared his throat. "Snape. He... He had this potions book and I saw it. He wrote the curse in there, along with the words 'For enemies'," He said sheepishly. Confusion hung over Draco as he tried processing the bit of information he had just received. "How come there are more than one scars?" Hermione's face was a picture of pure confusion. "I don't know, I only hit him once," Harry mumbled. "I can bet you it was that bastard I called my father," Draco scowled. "Anyway, care to explain what happened after you hit me with the curse?" He folded his arms across his chest. Hermione and Harry looked at each other, and Harry nodded. "Hey, Malfoy?" "Yes, Granger?" The two were in the garden that evening. She had suddenly requested for them to take a walk. Fresh air, she said. Both parties had not uttered a word as they strolled, and even as they settled themselves under the tree where they had been the other night. "Did anything happen last night? I... I have this really weird feeling. Was it another nightmare?" She turned her head so she was facing him. The moonlight shine on her face, highlighting her features and giving her a mysterious glow. Draco was partially mesmerized. Never before had he looked at Granger in that way. _Come to think of it, she's actually not that bad looking._ Not that he'd tell her that. Blinking and clearing his mind of all thoughts of her, he responded. "Yeah, actually it was. I woke up to screaming and realized it was you. You were thrashing around in your bed, screaming and crying. I had to, uh, restrain you." He looked away. "Was... Was it very bad?" She softly questioned, looking down at her lap. "I... I guess so?" He wasn't exactly sure of how bad was bad. And he wasn't going to mention his comforting her either. Moments of silence passed, and then she opened her mouth. "Malfoy... Thanks." Somehow, those words brought about a calming effect on him, and he allowed her a small smile in acknowledgment.


End file.
